My most recent visit was in late December 2004 for the Christmas at the Zoo holiday decorations. The zoo decorates the entire park with thousands upon thousands of Christmas lights and has special "reindeer" sightings and Santa visits. The event begins at 5pm throughout the month of December and run until 9pm, when the zoo closes. Though the plains exhibit was closed because of the cold, I had a fantastic time. Many of the animals, such as tigers, polar bears, walrus, and bears, are more active in the cold weather since it more closely matches their natural habitat. The lights add a romantic touch to the park, perfect for an evening stroll through the park. It can get cold, but there are several indoor exhibits to duck into when you get cold.

General Park Layout:
Expect to pay $5 to park, although I have been there several times without having to pay to park. It seems to be random chance. Entrance to the zoo costs $8 for adults/$6 for kids. The zoo is divided up into habitats: the Waters Building houses tropical fish, sharks, Amazonian species, a special Seahorse Exhibit, penguins, and a polar bear viewing area. This is my favorite exhibit. The penguins have a special tunnel beneath the exhibit so they can swim underneath your feet! Check out the seals and sea lions - if they come up to the glass, try to get them to follow your hand as they swim around. The Dolphins Pavilion is next door to this, as is the walrus exhibit (they are HUGE!), but the dolphins exhibit is currently under renovation.
The Forests contains eagles, bears, tigers, and several monkey species. The Plains, at the back of the park, is closed during cold weather but is home to African and Australian animals such as lions, zebras, giraffes, and kangaroos. The elephants have a fantastic new habitat... be sure to check it out. The Desert Biome has an incredible drop-dead-gorgeous snake exhibit, as well as a natural desert habitat. Finally, the Encounters has many familiar barnyard and household animals.

I highly recommend the zoo to any family or couple that wants to spend a few hours having a blast. Expect to spend at least 2 hours (for a family, 4 hours). Have fun!

One of my favorite exhibits is the giant pandas. Lun Lun and Yang Yang are so cute and fun to watch. Another favorite is the orangutans. It is fun to watch them climb around and swinging through the trees. They also have several different types of monkeys and there is a gorilla exhibit! Of course there is also, tigers, elephants, rhinos, zebras, and many more animals to see. It is great to see the animals in their natural environments instead of cages.

There were a large number of exotic animals (rhinos, elephants, giraffes, lions, monkeys and more), North American wildlife as well as domestic and marine animals. There were also sea lions, seals, fish tanks, and a reptile area.

A family could very easily spend the entire day here looking at the animals. If I'd had my children with me, I know that they would have pleaded to feed the animals in the petting area and play in the playground areas. There were also some children's rides on-site (for an extra cost). I didn't eat at the zoo, but noticed that there seemed to be plenty of concession areas and outdoor seating.

The zoo had a dolphin show, which while not quite up there with Seaworld, was pretty darn good. Especially considering the very reasonable admission price.

If I get a chance to return to Indy with my family, the zoo will definitely be on our must do list. (To learn more about the zoo, go to their website.)